In the twilight
by cherry fantasy
Summary: [post EW] Duo Maxwell, eternal cheater of Death, was killed in a Preventers' mission. The 4 other pilots are devastated. What will they do when a stranger appears, saying there's a way to bring Duo back ? [full sum. inside][YAOI, OOC] 1x2x1, 3x4
1. Prologue

**FULL SUMMARY**

Duo Maxwell, jokster and eternal cheater of Death, was killed during a Preventers' mission. The four other ex-Gundam pilots, especially Heero, are totally devastated... What will they do when a stranger appears to them, saying there is a way to bring Duo back ? Doesn't it seem a bit too good to be true ? Who is that stranger, and what does he want in exchange for his miraculous services ? And more importantly, faced with the possibility of being given back their loved one, just how much will Heero and the others be willing to pay ?

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Author's note : YES, YES, I know. ANOTHER fic. Please refrain from throwing things at me. When inspiration hits, I must write. I call it the Curse of the Plot Bunny. Tenacious little creatures, those bunnies... Anyway, I never abandon a fic, so don't start climbing the curtains just yet. All my stories are going to end up completed one way or another, no matter how many there are or how long it takes. I swear upon the Fanfiction Writers Bible.**

**Raiu : **Is there even such a thing as the Fanfiction Writers Bible ?

**There is now.**

**Raiu : **(mumbles) Idiot...

**What ?**

**Raiu : **Nothing. Please pursue.

**You're being suspiciously cooperative, Raiu.**

**Raiu : **(whistles innocently)

**Akari : **(looks on as cherry-chan uses a metal detector on Raiu, searching for any kind of possibly lethal weapons) Those two are so weird... Anyway, we hope you enjoy the fic minna-san !

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**.: In the twilight :.**

by cherry fantasy

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**Read this carefully 'cause I won't write it twice :**

_**Disclaimer : **Hum... I'm pretty sure I've looked everywhere, so... Nope. Gundam Wing is apparently not mine, nor are its original characters. Too bad..._

_**!!! WARNINGS !!! - **Well, first... Fear the OOCness ! Mhuahahahaha ! ...huh... yeah, anyway... What else ? Well, YAOI and SHOUNEN AI of course. That means boys love, you know, as in maleXmale relationships. Don't like ? Don't read. Simple enough for you ? Also, there will be some Heero-angst in the beginning, then a bit of Duo-angst in later chapters. Throw in lotsa sap, too. I love sap. Don't forget I did warn you about the OOCness. Finally, this is NOT a deathfic ! Well, not really anyway... I mean Duo _does _come back after all... So... Yup, that pretty much sums it up. And just so you know, FLAMES will be completely and royally ignored._

_**Pairings : **1x2x1, 3x4 as a side-pairing... maybe others... not sure yet... _

_**Genres : **Angst, romance, supernatural, a bit of drama and a bit of humor (all well balanced hopefully)._

_**Rating : **T for now, may or may not change later. _

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.: In the twilight :.

Prologue 

It was raining.

The sky was grey, dull, the clouds weeping, emptying themselves of their heavenly tears. Gently, rhythmically, droplets of water fell toward the earth, dying on the first surface they met. Roofs, trees, grass, pavement… Their end was accompanied by a soft and continuous splattering sound, drowning away the noises of the city.

The real storm was still far, the thunder a muffled, rumbling sound in the distance.

Right now, it was just raining.

The priest had to hold an umbrella over his head as he recited the last prayers. Many of those present imitated him, or had run back to their car earlier to fetch their raincoat.

But _they_ hadn't bothered.

They didn't feel the cold as rain seeped through their soaked clothes. They didn't shiver, didn't try to shelter themselves. Their posture was stiff, their faces expressionless. They simply stood there, side by side, taking what little comfort they could get in each other's presence. In truth, they were thankful for the rain : thanks to it, no one would see the tears.

"…in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen." the priest ended solemnly, closing the little Bible he held in his right hand.

"Amen." the small crowd echoed softly around him.

Except _them_.

They didn't say a word. They feared that if they opened their mouth, the only sound that would escape would be a sob, and if they started sobbing now, they weren't sure they would be able to stop. So they stayed silent. In fact, to any onlookers they appeared completely impassive, undisturbed by what was happening.

God was that far from the truth.

They looked on as the coffin was slowly and meticulously lowered into the ground. They watched as the priest made the sign of the cross one last time over the hole, then as two men picked up their shovels and started filling said hole with heavy, wet dirt.

The first few shovelfuls were the worst. The sound of the mud as it made contact with the coffin was horrible, making them sick to their stomach. Nonetheless, they stayed. They watched.

Soon it was mud atop mud, and the sound was a little bit more bearable. Then before they knew it, before they lost all control over their emotions and threw themselves at those two men to beg them to stop, the hole was filled. The coffin buried. The ceremony over.

It was still raining. The priest left, as did the two men with the shovels. Then the others started to leave as well. A few tried to get them to follow, but they refused.

Soon it was only the four of them, standing alone in front of the grave.

Two hands linked, gripping each other tightly. One passed an arm around another's shoulders, trying to offer comfort when in reality they all shared the same pain.

They stared at the tombstone, at the finely carved name on it, then at the words underneath :

_Died in the line of duty._

_Cherished friend,_

_eternal beloved._

_You shall live on in our memories,_

_forever the light to our darkness._

Lightning streaked the sky, thunder boomed, Mother Nature finally unleashing her full fury upon the world. The storm was here. Rain came down harder, drenching the four standing alone in the cemetery. Wind blew, scattering the violet flowers adorning the tombstone.

An eternity seemed to pass before they turned and left, never once looking back.

None of them saw the dark clad figure standing in the distance, watching them, seemingly untouched by the raging elements…

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**A/N : I'd just like to mention that the "dark clad figure" is NOT Duo. **

**That said... PLEASE REVIEW !!! (gets knocked out by a shoe that a neighbour threw at her head for "shouting like a damn lunatic")**

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	2. Grief

**Author's note : Well, here's the first chapter. Just so you know, the chapters of this story will tend to be a bit long (prologue excluded), but I doubt this will displease anybody... **

**Raiu : **Just get on with the fic will ya ?

**Alright, sheesh, no need to get personal.**

**Akari : **Enjoy chapter one !

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**KEYS :**

"speech" / _'thoughts'_ / _"memories" _/ _italic _and **bold** are used for emphasis

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**.: In the twilight :.**

by cherry fantasy

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Chapter one : Grief 

"So, shall I assume the Straffner case is proceeding smoothly ?" inquired Lady Une, Supreme Commander of the Preventers' Association, while leaning back regally in her leather chair.

"Yes Ma'am." Noin answered, standing up straighter. "We have Mr. Collins under constant surveillance… against his knowledge, of course. Sooner or later he'll make a mistake, and that's when we'll get him."

"Good." Une said with a stiff nod. "I expect to be noticed as soon as this case is solved. You're dismissed, agent Noin."

"Yes Ma'am !" the dark-haired woman saluted before turning around to leave her Commander's office.

"Wait." Lady Une suddenly spoke up, stopping her in her tracks.

Noin turned back toward her boss, one eyebrow raised expectantly.

Lady Une stood from her desk and walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows that were the predominant part of her office. She stopped before them and was silent for a while, her gaze lingering on the outside world. Noin just waited patiently.

Shoulders slumping ever so slightly, Une finally sighed and asked without looking around :

"Are they still in Greece ?"

"Yes."

"Have you talked to them recently ?"

"I called them two days ago. I had a small conversation with Quatre over the vid."

"…How are they ?"

Noin lowered her head sadly.

"Not better, if that's what you're asking." she answered softly. "Zechs and I tried all we could. So did Relena, Catherine, Rashid and the Maguanacs, Sally and all the Winner sisters. Heck, even Hilde and Howard tried talking to them, even though they're almost as devastated. It's just not working. We try, but… we're not getting through to them. It's as if we're speaking to a wall. They are so… defeated, Une. It… it hurts to see them like this…"

"By Hell, this can't go on, Lucrezia !" Lady Une exclaimed, whirling around to face her, eyes blazing with anger… and something akin to desperation…

"It's been two months, damn it !" she pursued, fists clenching furiously. "I understand their need to grieve, but aren't they taking it a bit far ?! Are they planning to mourn him for the rest of their lives ?! People die every day, for God's sake, and it's not as if they've never seen death before ! Quite the contrary, in fact, considering who they are ! Now, I do understand that when it's someone close to you the whole thing is harder, but it's not as if they've never suffered similar losses before either ! They managed to deal with it _then_, so why can't they do the same now ?! What's so different _this_ time ?!"

Noin looked back at her mournfully. She knew that Une wasn't really angry ; the Commander was just as concerned as everyone else. Anger was just Une's way of dealing with her worry.

"You _know_ the answer to that." Noin told Une evenly. "It's different because the war is over. These are times of peace we're living in, and unconsciously, despite them working for the Preventers, they had come to feel safe in that knowledge. Death was still present, but not nearly as much of a danger as before. Because of that, once again unconsciously, they lowered their guard and left themselves vulnerable. That's why it hurt them so bad when death suddenly hit so close to them. That's why it left them so shocked and lost."

Une stared back at her, fists loosening, anger slowly deflating.

"And that's not all." Noin pursued softly. "This time is different because the one they lost was so very dear to all of them, Une. You know that too. Those boys went through so many hardships together. They became each other's family… No, it goes even deeper than that. They share a bond so strong, no one but them can understand it. And him, Lady… He was their heart. Their light. Don't tell me you hadn't noticed ?"

"No… I had." Lady Une admitted, heading back toward her desk.

"And finally, there's Heero…" Noin added. "Just put yourself in his place for a moment… Imagine how _he_ must be feeling…"

"I know, I know…"

"Then surely, you now understand why this loss hurts them so, Commander." Noin concluded.

"I understand." Une said, slumping back in her chair. "I just don't like it. In fact, I hate it. I hate this whole situation, and I hate not knowing what to do to correct it."

Noin smiled faintly.

"We all feel the same, Ma'am. Sometimes… sometimes it seems as if the only thing that would help would be to bring him back to them."

"Yes…" Une whispered absently, then she added more firmly : "But that's impossible."

"That's what's making it so sad, Ma'am." Noin declared, her voice wavering.

Une just let out a long sigh. Putting her elbows on her desk, she brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming.

"Those boys will be the death of me…" she mumbled.

She then moved her gaze back on Noin, noting the other woman's sad smile and shimmering eyes. Clearing her throat, Une straightened and said :

"No giving up, Lucrezia. I'm sure things will get better eventually. We'll figure something out. Now please, just try and concentrate on the Straffner case. The rest will have to wait. The world is still turning ; it won't pause just for us."

"Yes Ma'am." Noin answered, getting herself back together.

She had to be strong. They all had to be.

With one last salute to Lady Une, Noin turned on her heels and exited the office. Left alone, Une covered her face with her hands and spoke up to the empty room :

"Damn it Maxwell, why did you have to go and get yourself killed…?"

A bitter laugh.

"Why you, of all people…?"

o0o

Two months.

It had been two months already.

To Heero, those two months had been pure Hell.

The Japanese teen was presently alone in his room, sitting on the window ledge. His Prussian blue eyes were staring outside, emotionless, slightly shadowed by his shaggy brown locks. But he wasn't really seeing anything. He didn't see the pretty sunlit garden, or the vast ocean stretching out farther in the distance. He didn't notice the clear blue sky, or the two white doves flying together near one of the orange trees.

Heero Yuy didn't see any of this.

Not that it wasn't a beautiful sight, quite the contrary. It's just that Heero couldn't find it in himself to appreciate it. It brought him no joy, no reassurance, no peace. He just… couldn't _feel_ anything anymore.

Well, that wasn't quite true. He felt empty. He felt dead. He felt permanently sick, plagued with this dull ache that just wouldn't go away.

And that's just when he _wasn't_ thinking about **him**.

His face suddenly flashed in Heero's mind, as clear as day. He seemed so real… Cheerful, smiling, _beautiful_… gone forever.

Heero hunched over, a strained sound escaping his lips. _'No… Go away…'_ He shook his head, physically hurting, his body tense and his eyes burning behind clenched eyelids. He wanted to get up, to scream, to destroy everything around him until the pain went away.

But he didn't ; he had learned by now. He just sat there, taking a few slow breaths, ruthlessly willing away the wetness behind his closed eyelids.

Once calmed, he relaxed and rested his forehead against the cool glass of the window pane. He was being pathetic, and he damn well knew it. But… remembering him hurt so much. Every memory was torture. He really couldn't help it.

None of them could.

Speaking of them… Heero caught a sudden glimpse of Wufei through the window ; the Chinese boy was walking slowly toward the beach, his graceful steps unusually heavy. As for Quatre and Trowa, they were most likely to be in the living room.

Since the funeral, two months ago, they were all living together. They'd lived separately before, of course, but… after… after what had happened… They just hadn't been able to part. Moreover, they hadn't _wanted_ to part. They _needed_ to stay together. They were each other's strength… Outsiders couldn't understand.

And although Heero knew that the main reason the other three wanted to stick together was probably to keep _him_ from doing anything stupid, he also knew that Wufei, Quatre and Trowa needed his presence as much as he needed theirs. They were hurting deeply, too…

The four of them were currently sharing a beautiful villa in Greece. The house and the land around it belonged to Quatre and his family (no real surprise there), but unlike all those other luxurious, extravagant Winner mansions that the ex-pilots had seen before, this villa could almost be called small and simple.

Of course, it _did_ belong to the Winner family, so it was no run-down shack either.

The villa was an elegant construction made of wood, situated a bit away from the nearest town for more privacy. It was built near the sea and had its own private beach. The villa itself was painted all in white, and the frames around the doors and windows were painted a soft blue. There was only one floor if you didn't count the basement : the villa was made in width rather than in height. A large balcony surrounded the whole house.

Quatre had chosen this particular place because it was exactly what they needed right now : somewhere peaceful, isolated, devoid of servants and, most importantly, it was far, far away from Sank and the Preventers HQ.

They had practically fled from the place. It had not even been two days after the funeral that they were already aboard one of Quatre's private jets, having barely taken the time to gather a few of their personal belongings, leaving everything else behind. Apartments, friends, work… everything. They had well and truly fled, without a second thought. They'd had to. They couldn't stay there. Too many memories… So they'd left.

Heero remembered those last days in Sank… He remembered how everyone had tried so hard to help them, to sooth their pain… He remembered what everybody had told them, and he remembered that none of it had worked. It's not that it hadn't been appreciated, but… Others just couldn't understand how deep their loss was.

He remembered the day they'd left, only leaving a brief note to let people know of their whereabouts. There had been a clear order not to follow them, or else they would move somewhere else without informing anyone of their new location. And if Gundam pilots didn't want to be found, nobody would find them.

Heero also remembered the silence… None of them had spoken a word during the funeral and for days after that… Now they did, but not much. The pain was still too raw.

The funeral… _That_ day had been the worst of Heero's life. Nothing, not even during the war, had ever made him hurt that much. His mind had gone through a complete breakdown, while his body had stayed horrifyingly numb, as if totally detached from the situation. He vaguely recalled Quatre, Trowa and Wufei falling into similar states as they watched the coffin being lowered into the muddy ground… Heero knew that, had his body not been so numb, he would've surely thrown himself at those men with the shovels, yanked them away and beat them to a bloody pulp for even _thinking_ of burying his friend… his partner… his little love…

'_NO !' _He clenched his eyes shut once more, willing the memories away, fists tightening almost hard enough to draw blood…

"No…" he repeated aloud, his voice hoarse.

He couldn't think about it… He couldn't… Not yet… It would kill him…

God, how was it possible to hurt so much without dying ? Would he ever heal ? Heero was starting to doubt it…

Someone knocked softly at his door.

"Heero ?" Quatre's voice came through the panel. "Dinner will be ready soon."

Heero had to swallow three times to make his own voice steady enough to answer :

"Alright. I'll be there in a minute."

He heard Quatre's footsteps fade away, meaning the blond boy was gone. Heero stood and walked toward the small bathroom adjoined to his room (they all had their own room, although Quatre and Trowa usually shared one). He stopped before the cabinet and stared at himself in the mirror : as expected, he looked terrible. He had lost weight and he had dark shadows under his eyes.

Well, at least he knew his friends sported the same look.

Nonetheless, Heero splashed some water in his face before leaving his room, hoping it would help at least a little.

When he reached the kitchen, the others were already there. Heero seated himself and they started to eat. Dinner was a silent affair… In fact, all meals were. Before, **he** had been the one to liven things up with his incessant chatter about nothing and everything, his jokes, his stories, his laugh…

Heero shook his head (he did a lot of that lately) to stop the memories from surfacing. Quatre glanced at him in concern. He could probably feel Heero's inner turmoil with his Space Heart. Heero dismissed it, reaching over the table to get the milk…

"_I don't like milk."_

Heero froze, hand still in mid air, blue eyes wide…

"_Everybody likes milk."_

"_Not me. It tastes funny."_

"_Baka."_

"_It's true ! And it smells funny too, if you ask me."_

"_Hn. Milk is good for your health. It strengthens your bones and helps your growth."_

"_Are you calling me short and skinny ?!"_

"_Hn… You are rather short for your age."_

"_Not my fault ! I suffered from malnutrition when I was a kid and it disturbed my growth ! And no milk in the whole universe will be able to change that !"_

"…"

"_Heeeee-chan… Does that mean you don't wuv me anymore 'cause you think I'm too short ? I can wear high heels if you want !"_

"_Baka…"_

"_Hmm… I like when you hug me Hee-chan. Hey, if you're hugging me it must mean you love me even __**without**__ the high heels and the Evil Milk O' Doom !"_

"_Hn."_

"_Heh… I love you Hee-chan."_

"_Ai shiteru mo, Duo. Zutto…" _(1)

"_Oh Heero, you're so sweet sometimes… Heero… Heero… Heero. Heero !"_

"HEERO !"

Heero started, knocking down the carton of milk in the process. The white liquid spread over the table and ended up dripping on the floor just beside Trowa's thigh.

Heero jolted to his feet, hands shaking, eyes burning, the sweet memory still vivid in his mind. He could feel the others' worried gaze on him…

"Heero ?" Quatre called again, rising to his feet as well. "Are you okay ? What's wrong ?"

Heero glanced at him, then at the spilled milk on the table…

"_Heh… I love you Hee-chan."_

"_Ai shiteru mo, Duo. Zutto…"_

"I'm sorry…" was all Heero could manage before he dashed out of the kitchen, heading for his room.

He got in and quickly slammed the door behind him. Walking to his bed he sat down on it, his whole body shaking by now. Heero brought up his hands and pressed their heels hard against his eyes… He would not cry, he would not cry, he would not cry, he would not-

"_Heh… I love you Hee-chan."_

A tortured little sound escaped Heero's throat. His breath hitched.

"_Ai shiteru mo, Duo. Zutto…"_

He didn't immediately notice when Quatre and the others entered his room… Seems he hadn't locked the door… Quatre came to sit beside him on the bed, Trowa and Wufei simply kneeling by him on the floor. Quatre lifted his arms and passed them around Heero, pulling the other boy to him.

"It's okay to cry Heero." the blond told him softly, tears running down his cheeks. "We miss him too… So much… It's okay…"

Trowa put a comforting hand on his thigh, his visible green eye shimmering. Wufei just stayed close, his head bowed…

"_It's okay to cry, Hee-chan. It's not weak. Perfect Soldier or not, you're just human, Heero. I know you can feel emotions just as much as everyone else. Love, joy, anger, sadness… all of them. It's okay to show them, love."_

"_::sniff:: But aren't you the one always claiming 'boys don't cry' ?"_

"_That was before, Heero. It was to keep me strong, back when I had no one to comfort me. But now I have you, and the guys…And you have me. It's okay to cry when you have someone there all ready to hold you and make it better."_

"… _::sniff::"_

"_C'mere love… There, see ? Doesn't that feel better, Hee-chan ?"_

"_::sniff:: Hai… Thank you, Duo… ::tiny sob::"_

"_Shhh, there, there… It's okay to cry 'Ro. I'll be here to console you…It's okay…"_

One tear rolled down Heero's cheek… Then another… and another… Finally he let his tears fall, leaning against Quatre… Even though he was wishing so hard for him to be someone else…

"Duo…" came the anguished little plea, bringing more tears in its wake.

Quatre let out a harsh sob when he heard that name, his arms tightening their embrace around Heero… Wufei's shoulders started to shake slightly, but his head was still bowed, keeping his face hidden… Trowa just turned away, hand pressing a bit harder on Heero's thigh…

And silently, Heero cursed Duo's God, be it Shinigami or the God Father Maxwell had believed in… No matter, because both of them had betrayed him…

'_Curse you ! Why did you have to take him away ?! He was kind and gentle, we all loved him so much… He was what I held most dear in this whole world ! He taught me how to live, how to love, how to be human ! So why ? Why did you take him from me ?! WHY, damn it ?!? Please… Just give him back… Give me back my little love… please…'_

Sadly, he received no answer.

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(1) I love you too, Duo. Always...

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**A/N : Alright, here are some spoilers for the next chapter : you'll learn more about the way Duo died, you'll get some very sweet flashbacks, and mister "dark clad figure" from the prologue will make another appearance.**

**So, did I pick your interest ? A least a little tiny bit ?**

**Please, review and let me know ! Just a few words and I'll be happy !**

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